T H E - T R U T H - I S
by ThatOneGoodWriter
Summary: It was simple. He wrote his feelings on one page. She wrote her feelings on the other. The only rule was that they were no allowed to see each other's entries. The rule was a promise they would both keep. That is...until the day she decides to leave and he is abandoned with only a tattered book he is tempted to finally read. Clace. Angst.
1. Chapter 1

" _There is no greater sorrow_

 _Than to recall a happy time_

 _When miserable."_

Dante Alighieri

 **Prologue**

She was eighteen. I was twenty. She was aiming to be an artist. I was aiming to become a photographer. She was an optimist. I was mostly a pessimist. She liked drawing. I liked catching moments deep in time. She had rich auburn hair. I had long tawny locks. She had dark emerald eyes. I had vivid gold ones. She carried piles of books. I carried a black camera.

She liked cartoons. I preferred sports. She wasn't active. I liked playing soccer. She listened to sad old songs. I listened to rap. She was small in figure. I was tall and slender. She had no siblings. I had two. She had many friends. I did not have much. She was sappy. I was serious. She loved spaghetti. I loved Chinese take out. She showed her emotions. I was emotionless. She liked the color green. I liked blue. She liked the day. I enjoyed the night.

She loved cats. I didn't like animals. She had a rough past. I didn't. Her dad abused her. My dad was long gone. Her mother was caring. My mother didn't exist anymore. She was a ray of sunshine. I was a glimmer of the moon.

We were opposites. Utterly and perpetually. It was sometimes hard to decipher. How two completely different people remained together. I've always wondered. I probably always will.

One starry night, where cold howls of wind penetrated our bodies and crickets chirped at the arrival of darkness and their hour of appearance, she was clinging to her dark sweater, the one that I secretly liked to see her in. Her hair was let down neatly on the two sides of her shoulders. "I know you don't like that kind of stuff but Jace, it's really important to me." So I heard her out. It was a stupid idea. A ridiculous one. An idea beyond my train of thought. An idea that I agreed on. Because of her and our growing friendship.

"So how does it go?" I remembered asking, raising a questioning eyebrow.

She tilted her head to look at me. I leaned closer to listen because of our height difference. "Well, so we'll have a book." She nodded her head a little. "A reasonable size, y'know? I'll write my page of the day and I'll drop it into your mailbox. Then you'll write your side of the day. But you're not allowed to read my entries. I'm not allowed to read yours either."

I scowled lightly. "How's that any fun?"

She frowned, a light dimming from her face. "I just thought-"

"Fine. Okay. So like a diary or somethin'?"

She grinned at my terms. "Nah, like a scrapbook."

And so that was decided. On December 11 of 2016, she wrote her part of the day and I found the book tucked into my mailbox in the afternoon. I shook my head in amusement but scribbled my own view on the next page. Though it was tempting to scan her entry, I believed in our promise and felt that it was significant in trust. And so it went like that every day. A quick entry of feelings, emotions, and actions.

I kind of liked it. It gave me comfort. That was...until it ended.


	2. Chapter 2

"I don't want to repeat my innocence. I want the pleasure of losing it again."

F. Scott Fitzgerald

 _Dear whatever,_

 _I'm not gonna call it a diary because that's gay. Clary laughed at that and shook her head, murmuring something that sounded like 'boys'. I don't know what I should write but I took a few pictures today and I think I'll glue them on this book. Clary's favorite swing at the park. It was the last one on the bars. Red and scarred heavily. She had told me she had grown up with it. So I got out my camera carefully and flashed a quick picture of it while Clary was talking._

 _Then there was the one where she was giggling loudly, her hair flying out of place. The sky was a frustrating but beautiful grey. It was about to rain. The winds were heavy and seemed to threaten blowing us away at any moment. Her smile was crooked, her white teeth straight but with little imperfection. I managed to capture her reaction when I told her to promise that she wouldn't tell anyone I was using some diary. It was priceless. At the time, she wore a blue sweatshirt that reached her band-aid covered knees. No pants or shorts. The sweatshirt covered most of her body anyway._

 _The last one was of our feet. Sure, not very interesting. I had much larger feet than she did. We both owned Chuck Taylors; hers red, and mine a dirty black. The cement beneath us was cracked and small pebbles covered the ground. It was memorable. For some odd reason, I had to bring my camera out and take the shot. I guess I don't really know why._

 _The day was fine. Beyond fine, actually. Clary had decided to draw in the empty fields of the old park close to her house. We only had to walk. She even drew me. Although I wasn't really looking when she did. I suddenly jogged over to her, a football in my hand and she scrambled to a sitting position, her sketchbook stuffed behind her. I raised my eyebrows and because she was so incredibly short in height, I grabbed the tattered thing and ran by fingers across the paper. She squealed, her cheeks a bright red. It was too bad my camera was on the bench that time._

 _It was just a drawing of me. I was sitting on the grass, my face staring upwards at the sky, my legs crossed comfortably. My hair was laying against my forehead in long waves. A small smile was on my face, sketched almost perfectly. I turned to her and she had her fingertips in her lips. That was her bad habit. She was nervous. A grin spread across my features, one I couldn't hold in. "What?" She asked, her voice so quiet I strained to hear it._

 _"Can I keep this?"_

 _The question must have thrown her off because her hands fell away from her face like she was distracted. "What?"_

 _I repeated it again. "No way, moron." The attitude was back now. Her own knowing smirk illuminated his emotions. "Just take a picture of it. I keep all my drawings."_

 _I did take a picture of it. Except I told her to hold it in her hands. She looked pleased to be in a photo._

 _I brought her ice cream later because she forgot her wallet at home. And I dropped her off an hour later. She gave me a tight embrace, like she always did, and darted to her family's front door, me watching her every step until she disappeared._

 _December 12, 2016_

 _Jace Herondale_


	3. Chapter 3

_Dear whatever,_

 _It's raining. But I'm still going over Clary's house. The cold drops of water are splashing onto my hoodie, soaking the dark blue cloth and dampening my skin. The walk to her house is short and quiet. Her neighborhood was filled with old people anyway. I slipped my camera further under my shirt to keep it from getting wet. I was saving up money to buy a waterproof one._

 _I reached the porch in a matter of minutes and tugged out the key I kept in my pocket. There weren't any cars in the driveway so I assumed no one was home except Clary. Her mom was probably working. The inside of her house was small and cozy. The walls were painted a milky caramel, the couches a soothing white. Newspapers took over the space on the dining room table and a few beers were on the kitchen counter. I climbed up the flight of stairs, shaking my coat from the cold and cracked open the door to her room._

 _She was lying down on her pink bed, the covers messy and tossed over. Only a gray shirt covered her body. Her hair was an auburn cloud, locks spreading against the forehead. A can of opened beer sat on her desk top. Her eyelids were half closed but then they focused on me and I shook my head in amused annoyance._

 _"What's up with you?" I remember asking her._

 _She released a breath. She didn't say anything. I placed my camera carefully on her book shelf and took a seat on the edge of her bed. She didn't move. I nudged her foot. She kicked me._

 _"My dad." She said._

 _My eyebrows shot up. She didn't have one. He was never here for her. "What?"_

 _"I want to look for him."_

 _The realization made me want to shout. "I thought you didn't want to see him again."_

 _"I don't."_

 _"Then why are you looking for him?"_

 _"Because I want to know why he left. I want to know who I am."_

 _That shut me up. I stared at my lap, the tawny hair on my head falling in long waves. I didn't notice her when she pulled at my hand. Her face was insistive. The freckles on her cheeks were a bright orange. Her lips were parted just a bit like she was thinking of what to say._

 _"Don't be like that." She whispered, her voice like soft silk._

 _I shook my hair out of my eyes. "After what he did?"_

 _She nodded, her fingers touching the right side of my face. "After all that he did."_

 _A sigh rolled out of my mouth. A sigh of slight exhaustion and exasperation. "Okay."_

 _I leaned back against the board of her bed. She did the same except her head was placed on my chest. "You're nervous?" She asked abruptly._

 _"Of what?"_

 _"I don't know. Your heart's beating fast."_

 _I shrugged. "Jace?"_

 _"Yea?"_

 _"Pass me my beer." I did. She took a long sip and offered it back to me. I wasn't much of an alcohol drinker but I drank._

 _She climbed onto my lap, her movements a little clumsy. I brought my hands to the sides of her waist. She leaned her face against the crook of my neck. She smelled of strawberries and vanilla. Sweet. Her breathing was a bit ragged but I blamed it on the Coors light._

 _I would've never noticed she was crying if it weren't for her quiet whimpers. I let her cry. I didn't say anything because sometimes when someone cried, it was better not to say much. It could make it worse. Her arms around my neck tightened and I'd never felt so close to a person before. "Clary." I said once._

 _She pulled away just enough so my face was centimeters away from hers. Her green orbs dull, the outlines red. I didn't ask her what was wrong, I just stared long enough. She shook her head barely. I let it go._

 _She kissed me. A slow kiss. I still remember the salt on her lips and cheeks. She was still crying silently but stopping now would ruin the moment. My hands found the clasp of her bra underneath her shirt. My jacket was off along with my tank top. All I could do was touch her. Please her. Make her stop thinking about what was making her cry._

 _I'll stop here._

 _December 15, 2016_

 _Jace Herondale_


	4. Chapter 4

**Finally, some consistency!**

 _Hi, readers! I'm super sorry that this isn't an update. I really apologize if you hoped it was. Anyway, everyone has been asking me to update a bunch of stories as quick as possible. Others have complained that something is seriously wrong with me because of my long periods without update. I finally came up with a schedule. I'll try to be as stern as possible with the dates provided, but I'm entering SENIOR YEAR and kind of need to get my shit together._

 _I've got a bunch of AP work and a lot of decisions I need to make before college life. I hope, dearly, that you understand. ALL, and I mean ALL, stories will be updated. I don't care how old they are and how many reviews I receive._

 _One last thing, before your brains get tired of this. If you haven't noticed, the Mortal Instruments community is lowering in the amount of new writers and new stories being created. I constantly read new stories where there are literally no reviews. The author, despite this, continues to update. I saw a story the other day that possessed about five chapters. There were no reviews. I don't want to be a bitch and I have no right to demand something of you, but if you want to continue to read fanfictions about your favorite characters, why aren't you contributing?_

 _Why is it that authors have to work hard to write things for you? To satisfy you? A few years back, the TMI community was flourishing. Now, the latest updates are hours ago. And I mean, like, 10 hours ago. So I'm done ranting over shit I know people obviously don't care about._

 _If you got anything out of this, it's that you should review. You don't always have to give a compliment. You can give constructive criticism. You can suggest ideas and styles. You are basically helping authors grow!_

 _Without further ado, here's my schedule. It'll be on my bio, but I don't think anyone has the time to visit that page._

 **Are You Gonna Stay?** (A fanfic based off of Vance Joy's [Riptide]. Clace. Four-shot.)

*Every Tuesday*

[complete by the 4th of September]

 **Bandaids** (Clarissa Fairchild, a young woman who desperately needs money to help support her grandma, decides to become a housekeeper for the Herondale Manor. Trying to achieve her dreams by following a beaten path, Clarissa realizes that this particular job may affect her personal life more than she would like. Clace.)

 **You Look Like Hell** (A Clace fanfic based on Melanie Martinez's [Soap].)

 **Did You Forget About Me?** (As a child, Jace loses his mother and father on the same night. With no one left to depend on, he is forced into an orphanage, one that seems unwelcoming. There he meets a certain annoying girl. She kept talking to him but he liked listening. They become friends, well sort of, more or less. But the problem he didn't know he'd have to face in the orphanage was: Separation.)

 **Let's Just Lie Under a Thousand Stars** (When Clarissa Fray, a smart but spirited student who never seemed to lose passion for anything, meets Jace Herondale, a youthful man who seems too cold for anyone to ever love, she finally discovers why you don't touch broken or shattered glass. You wound yourself along the way. "You can't just apologize for every little thing and expect me to come back everyday. You just can't.")

*Every other Thursday*

 **Erasing the Ghost Inside (** Jace's younger brother, William, is getting married and he needs support with planning. Traveling across the globe, Jace does not expect to grow fond of his brother's future wife, Clarissa. Clace. Angst.)

 **My Lovely Sin** (He is a nobleman, cruel and stern. Wealthy and strong. When he purchases a certain servant, he does not expect to fall in love with an individual he believes is a mistake to the world. Clace.)

 **Because I'm Curious Why** (A break up. Its effects. Clace. Snippet: [That's all. I'm leaving. It's over. Whatever we had, it's clearly gone now. You must have noticed, babe. We weren't gonna last. No one will. I won't end it with an I love you because I truly don't and it would be lying. Stay strong. Jace Herondale x])

*First of Every Month*

 **This Light is Fading** (Kagome Higurashi is determined to join the Survey Corps. There she meets Erwin Smith who abruptly appoints her to Levi Ackerman's team. As she journeys with her Captain and her companions, she is constantly reminded of a miko in an era she does not remember. Trying to recollect the memories she receives, Kagome must find a way to understand who she once was and who she will be.)

 _Sorry AoT fans, I'll be sure to continue updating. I'm coming back! Don't lose hope!_

*Every Friday*

 **In Wine There is Truth** (Set in the late Middle Ages, two sisters venture into the path of royalty. Clarissa, a fierce fighter finds herself watching her sister, her closest confidant, take the throne. Placed in the highest positions of the Alicante Kingdom, the two women discover themselves falling in love with the same man, the King. History/Angst/Action. Clace.)

 **Shooting Star** ("Why won't you fucking wake up when I need you? You're always asleep." In a fit of rage and defeat, he placed his head into the crook of her neck and cried until his heart hardened again. Clace.)

*Every Other First of the Month*

 **Forgive Me For I Have Sinned** (Clarissa Adele, a soon to be queen, must take the throne of a kingdom who hates her very soul. There she meets a young man, a courageous one, who tries desperately to save his family. On the way, he must unravel the queen's past and perhaps begin something worth fighting for. Clace.)

*Every other Saturday*

 **Onward, We Go** (Clace. An office story.)

 **I Drank Until I Saw You Next to Me** (Clarissa Morgenstern, a runaway, wakes up in a white van with four strangers, one of whom is a golden eyed drug addict. Clarissa forms a connection with him as an adventure is in the making. Clace.)

 **False Image** (A bad girl. A bad boy. A bullying incident gone wrong. [Clace] [Angst])

*Infrequent Updates*

 **She Needed the Saving** (Jace ached to get closer to the baffling girl but she always disappeared when he would find the courage to step forward. She always surprised him with stupid and sometimes weird habits. She left him dumbfounded but fascinated. "Maybe she runs away so fast for the fun of having me catch up.")

 **I May Not Believe in Him, But I Believe in Her** (Jace is supposedly forced to attend church even though he isn't much of a believer. There, he meets the daughter of the Pastor. She's a reckless liar and a careless thrill-seeker, but he likes her nonetheless. "Are you coming with me or not?" She asked him, irritated with his inability to make a decision. He took her hand. "Let's get the fuck outta here." Clace.)

*The 15th of Every Month*

 **I Can Only Remember His Lips** (He loses his memory. She tries to make him remember. Clace.)

 _Does anyone even want this updated. If so, send a PM or a review._

 **We Just Clicked** (Clarissa Morgenstern lives a life that revolves around darting corner to corner as Mr. Herondale's manager. Signing papers, meeting with companies, and even taking the job of comforting her companion. Though this was quite grueling, she'd do a lot for her fair eyed workmate. On hiatus.)

 **Ma'am!** (A barely managing man and a proudly engaged woman. Clace.)

*Every Other Sunday*

 **The Getaway to Nowhere** (When Jace Herondale's soon-to-be-wife, Clarissa Fairchild, leaves him a month before their wedding, he is left with the two week cruise they had planned for their honeymoon. Taking a major risk, Jace decides to search for a woman by his fiance's name so that she may bring reassurance to him and attend the cruise with him. A ridiculous idea. A hell of a lot of consequences. Clace.)

 **Sincerely, Yours** (5 teenagers spend a Saturday morning in detention. Based off of the 1985 film: The Breakfast Club. Clace. Sizzy. Jaia.)

 **Let's Be Nothing** (Clary works an on and off again job. She talks to on and off again friends. She even loves an on and off again boy named Jace. Clace. Angst.)

*Infrequent, most likely on a Friday*

 **I'm Used To It** (A blind girl manages to make a neglected boy see. Angst. Clace.)

*Every Monday*

 **Only One of Us Can Stay** (When all options fail, a support group is her last hope. Clace. Angst.)

 **You Are the Medication That Keeps Me Alive** (Tessa Gray, one of the only warlocks to survive after the Great War, is captured by King Edmund who seeks her power for his own good. Caged in a prison and tortured all the while, Tessa is faced with the King's son, William, who seeks to free her despite his hard demeanor. Wessa.)

*Infrequent Updates*

 **Don't Get Too Close** (She's gone through a lot. He has too. But in the end, they're just too catastrophic and destructive to love one another. Clace. Angst.)

 **THE-TRUTH-IS** (It was simple. He wrote his feelings on one page. She wrote her feelings on the other. The only rule was that they were no allowed to see each other's entries. The rule was a promise they would both keep. That is...until the day she decides to leave and he is abandoned with only a tattered book he is tempted to finally read. Clace. Angst.)

*Last Weekend of Every Month*

 **There's No Beginning Here** (She can try to hide, but one of these days, someone'll find her. Clace.)

 **Go Out and Start Again** ("Clare! He's 21. He doesn't need protecting anymore! What are you trying to protect him from?" Simon shouted. She swallowed and answered quietly. "The entire world." Clace. Angst.)

 **Writing Extravaganza** (One-shots written of your choosing. Drop a review or PM me for requests and I will write them here. [Clace] [Malec] [Sizzy] [Jaia])

*Based on Amount of Reader Requests*

 **Melody** (A chance meeting leads a stubborn woman and a musician down the path of love. Clace. A Titanic story.)

 **Walking Around Aimlessly** (The date is September 1952. Clarissa Fairchild is a papergirl, sending and delivering newspapers to her fellow neighbors. On one trip she discovers Jonathon Herondale and something inside her unravels. Clace. Tragedy/Romance)

 **My Thorns Are Still Sharp** (Clarissa Morgenstern is the goddess of jinx, exiled by all the gods and punished to live in the mundane world. There lives Jace Herondale, an ordinary human with the ability to see her. Trying to stay under the radar of the gods, Clarissa finds herself in the center of an issue that threatens all of Olympus and must drag the boy with her in search of a solution. Clace.)

*Every Other Wednesday*

 **Far Far Away** (Jace, a fallen soldier, leaves Clarissa, his fiance, a series of videos to watch.)

 **I Miss You More At Night** (A struggling but well known actor must film a movie despite the issues in his life. But just as he thinks another movie could higher his status, the actress he must film with seems to have other ideas. And maybe, just maybe, something is found along the way. Clace.)

*Every Sunday*

 **City Lights** (Who knew a text message at 4:00 AM in the morning could reunite ex-lovers from four years back? Clace.)

 **Save Our Souls** (Two teens chat through the website: [StrangersForHelp]. In this site, people across the globe try to communicate in order to solve their issues, creating a digital friendship. Clarissa Morgenstern and Jace Herondale find themselves chatting with one another with hidden names until they build their own world. Soon, they decide to meet. Digital universe and reality clash. Clace.)

 **You Call the Shots, Babe** (Jace would come and we kind of all knew the reason why. We knew he wanted to see us. But mostly, above all else, we knew he came for Clarissa Fairchild. [Clace] [Angst])

*As soon as I can, whenever I can*

 _The schedule is subject to change. If and when it does,_

 _I will give you a notice and explanation._

 **All one-shots/two-shots/three-shots are infrequent. They will definitely be finished.**

PM me for any questions and concerns!

 **SNEAK-PEAK OVER FUTURE FICS**

 **We, Dumbledore's Army:** After the success of the second wizarding war, no one expected the sudden disappearances of prominent wizards and witches. Desperately using Hogwarts as a haven for protection, the wizarding world is slowly decreasing as the remains of the Dark Lord's minions grow. A solution is proposed. Two individuals lead the charge, chosen by the existing professors. Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy. Dumbledore's army is revived. Dramione. [Harry Potter]

 **Scattered Amongst the Stars:** She's the head of the vampire clan. He's the Alpha of the werewolves. Clace. [The Mortal Instruments]

 **The Last Prayer:** He finds her on the ground, surrounded by hungry titans. From there, she's his and his alone. Levi/Kagome. [Attack on Titan]

 **Crows:** He's the leader of the Alicante thieves. She's a poor villager who steals for her next meal.

Clace. [The Mortal Instruments]

 **One Summer:** They can only see each other at camp. They take what they can get. Clace. [The Mortal Instruments]

 **These Tiny Glimpses:** Levi's getting dreams of her. Tired and exasperated, he searches for the woman that is taking over his mind. Levi/Kagome. [Attack on Titan]

 **Relapse:** She's suffering and he's got to do anything to take the burden away from her. Hinny. AU. [Harry Potter]

...

More later!

 _Thanks for reading. Any suggestions or comments are absolutely welcome. Sorry again, if you thought this was an update._

 **A question most readers ask me:** Why are all your stories sad?

 **Answer:** They're not necessarily sad, they're just true. I try to make all my stories as raw and honest as possible. I will not sugarcoat things. I will not have happy endings where there shouldn't be. My biggest inspiration comes from a fanfic writer named KissingFire. She basically wrote the truth in her TMI fics and whatnot. So yeah. Cheers!

 _Bye!_


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